Stripes of Shadow
by DawnFrostofThunderClan74
Summary: THE PREVIOUS SUMMARY WAS INCREDIBLY IRRELEVANT... So, here goes. Tigerpaw, a young apprentice, knows that everyone has secrets. Not everyone is how they first appear. But she's got some firm thoughts and ideas, and she's incredibly stubborn. So when she's punished for an (accidental!) incident, she reforms, and finds out some cats' darkest secrets.
1. Chapter 1

"_Good. Now the move I taught you last night…. Amazing, Tigerkit!" A brown tom grinned at a tiny tabby she-kit as the cream she-cat faded away into dust. The kit dipped her head and sheathed her claws. "Thank you, Frostheart, I'm just trying to help my clan. Snowfur will be okay, though, won't she?" _

"_Of course! She'll come back once she's learned to fight." He lied through his teeth._

_Tigerkit smiled, "Should I go back, or do you have some new moves to teach me?"_

_Frostheart sighed. "Go back, and sleep. Tomorrow, we'll practice swimming. You will be the best warrior in all the clans! You will be unbeatable, and a true asset to your clan."_

Tigerkit blinked blearily, her tail twitching uneasily and her breath coming in gasps. She had heard something, a yowl of pain. _Nothing out of the ordinary. _As usual, it was just her and Littlekit, all alone in the nursery. _Speaking of Littlekit…_ The tiny black and white kit was slumped against the nursery wall, eyes wide open, but kind of cloudy in a strange way. _No! Not again! _Tigerkit raced out of the den, running into Speckleheart, the medicine cat. The calico she-cat spat out the squirrel she was carrying. "What's wrong?" She asked, scanning the kit's terrified expression.

The question was just for show. This had happened before, and every time the medicine cat comforted the kits while it passed. Tigerkit just nodded, breathless, and Speckleheart grabbed the squirrel as she raced into the nursery. Littlekit was still slouched against the wall. "I understand, Goldenheart. I will do as you ask." The tiny kit murmured softly. Speckleheart paused, concern and disbelief flooding her gaze. "What?" Tigerkit asked, glancing worriedly back at her sister. "Nothing. I'm sure I imagined it. Go curl up beside her, keep her warm. I need to talk to Yellowstar."

Tigerkit sighed with relief as Littlekit started to get up. "Are you alright?" Tigerkit asked anxiously. Littlekit grinned.

"Don't worry, sis. Everything's going to be okay. And… Never mind. Just go find Lilyheart."

Tigerkit regarded her sister with a confused glance, but ran to the elders' den to retrieve her.

"Lilyheart?" Tigerkit asked cautiously, peeking her head into the fallen tree that had been made into a den. "Coming. But be quiet, Beetail is sleeping." A voice responded. A moment later, a light gray she-cat slunk out of the den, then started to race towards the nursery. "She asked for you." The kit said, scampering after the elder. "That's what I had guessed. Now, go find Songpaw. Get her to teach you a few moves." The elder responded, trying to get Tigerkit out of the way without making her feel bad. The kit saw right through it, but didn't say anything, and instead did as she was told and went to find her friend.

"Songpaw!" Tigerkit grinned as she spotted the apprentice in a humongous tree, sitting on one of the branches. "Hey, Tigerkit! Come on up." The she-cat gestured with her tail, and Tigerkit started clambering up the trunk. "Don't you love the view?" Songpaw sighed, looking out over the camp. Tigerkit smiled. She asked that every time… "Oh, and I found a new place. Here, follow me!" Songpaw said, springing up the tree. Tigerkit grinned and leapt after her. This was why they were friends. Songpaw never believed she couldn't do something, or that her ideas were foolish. She listened.

After a while of climbing, near the top, Songpaw stopped, and slid into a hollow in the trunk. Tigerkit slid in after her. "Whoa. Is that the lake?" The kit gasped, looking out at the huge body of water. "Yeah. And over there, in that thicket of pine trees, is Shadowclan's camp. Riverclan's is where the river is thinnest, and Windclan is right there, in the middle of the moor." Songpaw responded, grinning.

"You can see all of the camps? Cool!"

"Yeah. Look! There's Birchclaw, the WindClan deputy in his camp! I saw him last gathering. Wait, and there's the elders.. and Heathersong, the medicine cat. Oh, no! Larkstar is dead!"

Tigerkit gasped. "So now it's Birchstar?"

"Yup, I guess so. Anyway, why did you come find me?"

The kit rolled her eyes. "Littlekit had another… whatever. I really do love her, and she's.. my only family, since Robinwing died. I just hate cats thinking of me as Littlekit's sister!"

"I understand. Berrypaw used to always be in the limelight. However, I honestly liked not being the center of attention. And he always stood up for me. You know the worst part about him being gone?"

Tigerkit leaned comfortingly against her friend.

"He never told me anything. One day, he just left. Something that I've never told a soul is that I actually found his scent and tracked him to the TwoLegPlace. And still, so many cats blame me. I really hope you don't have to go through anything like that."

Tigerkit sighed, "I probably wouldn't be able to bear it if she died. She… you get it."

"Yeah."

"Permission to rant?" Tigerkit asked jokingly. Songpaw nodded. "Robinwing is dead, my father is a codebreaker, I have no living relatives except for my sister, and you're the only cat who listens to me. Actually…"

"What?"

"There's one other cat who listens to me. And treats me as an equal. His name is Frostheart."

"I won't pry. But Tigerkit, promise me one thing. Be careful, if not for you, for me and your sister."

"Deal."

"Oh, we have to get back! My ceremony is tonight!"

The two cats started down the tree rapidly, glad to have gotten out all the stuff that they couldn't tell anyone else.

"Songpaw! Step forward. From this day on, your name will be Songfur." The clan chanted her name, Tigerkit the loudest by far.

Songfur proudly bounded down beside the kit. "In just a few moons, you'll be an apprentice. And then we can go out of camp without the fear of getting caught." She whispered to Tigerkit. The she-kit beamed, and nuzzled her friend.

_I wonder who I'll get… Waspwhisker? Nah, he was going to the elders' den soon… _Yellowstar's voice echoed around the clearing. "Littlekit! Step forward! You have chosen the path of a medicine cat, so Speckleheart will be your mentor. She will pass on all she knows to you. From this day on, until you receive your medicine cat name, you will be known as Littlepaw." The cats licked shoulders and stepped back. "Tigerkit! Step forward. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Tigerpaw. Songfur, you are a young warrior, but you have shown diligence and courage, so you will mentor Tigerpaw. I hope you will pass on all you know to her." Songfur and Tigerpaw eyes each other with pure joy and surprise. They touched noses, and Tigerpaw licked their leader's shoulder.

"Let's go look at the territory for the _first _time!" Songfur cheered happily, her eyes twinkling mischievously. Tigerpaw nodded eagerly, and the two cats raced out of the clearing.

"This is the training hollow." Songfur explained. She lowered her voice to a whisper, "Since you've seen most of the territory, I just want to see what you already know. We're going to do a mock battle, and how well you fight will determine what moves I use. Go!"

Tigerpaw's eyes lit up. This was her chance to impress Songfur! She lunged at the she-cat, her eyes looking at the she-cat's shoulders. At the last moment, Tigerpaw aimed down, knocking the warrior's paws out from under her. Tigerpaw pinned the black she-cat, her green eyes gleaming happily. "Good job!" Songfur cheered. "Now, I'll fight as hard as I can. I want to see how long you can last before you get pinned."

Tigerpaw nodded, easily leaping up, dodging Songfur's first attempt. The apprentice came down, hard, on her mentor's back. She raked her paws down Songfur's back.

Suddenly there was a small dot of red in the warrior's fur. "I'm so sorry!" The apprentice apologized anxiously. "All good. Don't worry! But seriously, you did amazing! Where did you learn those moves?"

"Frostheart." Tigerpaw panted, grinning.

"Oh? That's nice." Songfur smiled coyly.

Tigerpaw rolled her eyes at her friend's expression. "Did he teach you how to hunt, too?" Songfur asked. "Why don't we see? Hunting contest?" Tigerpaw suggested. "You're on!" Songfur raced out of the clearing to hunt, both cats ready to win.

They had hunted until sundown and both cats were carrying a lot of prey. Songfur had mostly squirrels (Two squirrels, and 3 mice), whereas her apprentice had a fish, two rabbits, a finch, 5 mice, a squirrel, and a water vole. Songfur's eyes had widened at the amount of prey that the younger cat had caught. "I think you may have killed all the prey on out territory." She had breathed.

Tigerpaw's back groaned under the weight of her prey. _Almost there. _As she reached the fresh-kill pile she collapsed, letting all the prey drop onto the fresh-kill pile. Without being told to, she picked up the water vole and a few of the mice, taking them over to the elder's den. The squirrel she took to the nursery, and she snagged a rabbit to share with her sister.

"Littlepaw? Want to share, or are you busy?"

"Busy." Came Littlepaw's muffled, but firm, reply. Tigerpaw sighed, and set the rabbit back down. She looked over the fresh-kill pile, and grabbed a measly shrew from last night. As she turned around to find a place to sit, another apprentice was sitting behind her. "Bramblepaw?"

"Hey, Tigerpaw! I was wondering if you wanted to share some prey, or maybe train a little."

"I don't need your pity, just because my sister hates me." Tigerpaw growled, turning away angrily.

"That's not what I meant! I just.. You're so good at hunting and fighting, and climbing, and-"

"I practice. Here, fine, we can share. Then, in the morning, I'll teach you diligence, and maybe about personal space." Tigerpaw relented, shoving the cat off her and swinging a piece of prey towards him. "Thanks!"

Tigerpaw groaned. What had she gotten herself into?

—

"_Welcome back, Tigerpaw."_

"_Thanks, Frostheart. What are we doing today? I'm itching to claw something."_

"_Good. Tree climbing, of fighting? We can't really practice hunting here."_

"_Fighting. Is Snowfur back yet?"_

"_Who?"_

"_Snowfur. You said she would come back when she learned to fight.."_

"_Oh, yes! She's still… learning. She doesn't want to get beaten by a kit again."_

"_Good. So we'll be fighting each other?"_

"_Yes. First lesson, always-"_

"_Be prepared." Tigerpaw finished quickly as she leapt into the air, nimbly avoiding his claws. _

_As they fought, Frostheart spoke softly. "It's a good thing your sister is in the medicine den, other cats won't see her so often, and moon over her."_

_Tigerpaw snorted, "Tell me about it. She's always… soaking up the attention!"_

_Frostheart raised an eyebrow, "Very true. None of the other cats would help you be better, so I did. You know why?"_

"_Why?"_

"_Because I was once like you. A lonely, unimportant little kit."_

_Tigerpaw growled, and lunged again, ramming into Frostheart and shoving him to the ground. She unsheathed a claw, ready to slash him and be congratulated. He quickly responded, "No! Don't kill me, or you won't have my training for a while."_

_Tigerpaw shrugged, confused by his alarm. "I wasn't going to."_

_Frostheart breathed out, relieved, as she let him up. "Okay. Good job tonight. Better than what your mentor would be teaching you. Oh, that reminds me, I have something I need you to do!" He whispered the rest in her ear, and when she looked up, her face was a mixture of confusion and doubt._

"_Are you sure?" Tigerpaw asked hesitantly._

"_Positive. Prove your loyalty to u- your clan! Remember, they're the enemy."_

Tigerpaw groaned as someone shook her awake. "Go away." She mumbled, burying her head in the moss. "But you said you would help me!" An annoying voice said. _What do you know? It's Bramblepaw. However… _She thought sarcastically.

"Fine. Go eat, I'll be out in a minute."

"Yay!" The obnoxious apprentice raced out of the den, and Tigerpaw wearily followed.

"Follow me." Tigerpaw ordered, racing towards the cliffs. Bramblepaw eagerly ran after her, his eyes alight with joy.

"What will this teach me?"

"Stamina. I'm going to sprint ahead, Try your best to keep up." Tigerpaw retorted, focusing all her willpower on not adding a 'mouse-brain' to the end of it. She ran, relishing the feeling of wind in her fur, until she skidded to a halt at the bottom of a tall mountain. There was a thin path, with many gaps, but Tigerpaw had trained hard, and knew how she could do it at a pretty high speed. Behind her, Bramblepaw finally caught up, panting, and then collapsed. "You're pathetic." Tigerpaw growled under her breath.

"Thanks! Wait, what does 'pathetic' mean?"

Tigerpaw just groaned in response. "We're going to see how fast you can climb this. I'll go up ahead, and yell go when you should start." The she-cat said as she scampered nimbly from rock to rock. She hid behind a boulder and scraped together a pile of rocks to hit him with. She felt bad, but StarClan had demanded it! "Go." She said calmly, listening to him struggle. She pelted the rocks down with extraordinary accuracy, as she had also prepared for this part.

"Ouch!" Bramblepaw gasped as the first few rocks hit him. She watched in silence. '_Okay, make him step on that ledge.' _Frostheart's voice rang through her head, and she eagerly obeyed. Bramblepaw stepped on the ledge, and Tigerpaw watched in horror as the brown apprentice started to fall. She lunged forwards, grasping his scruff in her jaws from a different ledge. She swung him up and sighed with relief, sniffing to see if he was injured. "Y- you saved me?" Bramblepaw asked shyly. '_**Why did you save him? He needs to die.' **_Frostheart growled. Tigerpaw ignored him, even though his voice chilled her to the bone.

"Of course, you're a clanmate, now come on, mouse-brain. Speckleheart will look you over, and I need to meet up with Songfur." Bramblepaw nodded and chased after her as she raced down the mountain.

"What happened?" Songfur exclaimed, looking at the scratches on both of them, and Bramblepaw's exhausted expression. "We were training, and he fell off a cliff." Tigerpaw sighed, brushing past her mentor. "Tigerpaw! Get over here!" Songfur ordered, chasing after her. Tigerpaw walked back over to her. "You both will rest the entire day today. Bramblepaw, go to Speckleheart's den." The brown apprentice did as he was told, and Songfur turned to her apprentice, her eyes cold. "You could have killed him."

"I know! I just wanted him to be a good warrior, and pass his assessment!" _And the little voice in my head told me to… _

Songfur growled, looking like she was about to kill a cat herself. "You have two options. One, care for my brother, don't let his wounds get infected, and train him up properly, or two, run far, _far _away before I tear your throat out."

_Oh, right. Bramblepaw is her sibling from a different litter. Now what?_

**_No, I'm serious. WHAT SHOULD I DO? Oh, great StarClan, I need ideas!_**

**_So, let's take a vote. Exile or care for the dense mouse-brain? I, for one, am leaning towards caring for Bramblepaw, I think it would be an excellent learning experience for my crazy little characters. (:_**

**_BUT IT'S UP TO YOU!_**


	2. Chapter 2

"Tigerpaw? I heard about the incident." It was Littlepaw. Tigerpaw sighed and flopped down on the ground. I can trust her to do what's best.

"Littlepaw, am I a danger to the clan? Should I be exiled, killed, or care for Bramblepaw?"

Littlepaw sighed, "You are not a danger to the clan. And I care about you, so you can't die or leave. So care for the dense furball!"

Tigerpaw groaned. "Fine. For you, Littlepaw."

Frostheart's voice was still ringing in her ears.

'_**He needs to die. He needs to die.' **_

"Tigerpaw. What is your choice?" Songfur asked, her eyes cold and her tone indifferent. With a gulp Tigerpaw noticed her unsheathed claws.

"I will care for him." _EVEN IF IT WAS HIS OWN DUMB FAULT! _She added angrily in her head, although she couldn't tell if it was her thoughts, or Frostheart at work. Songfur nodded, with the same icy demeanor, and gestured towards the medicine den.

"What's wrong with him?" Tigerpaw asked the senior medicine cat.

"Left paw in the front is sprained, back leg is broken on the right. And a variety of scratches, including one with a sharp rock wedged in it." Speckleheart retorted angrily, not glancing up. Bramblepaw was curled up in a nest in the corner, sound asleep and snoring softly.

"You'll have to get fresh moss, hunt for him, and check on his wounds every day. Since we have no queens or kits at the moment, he will reside in the nursery. You'll also be in the nursery to make sure he is always comfortable. Go set up a nest in the nursery, then head out hunting to get him a warm piece of prey. After you give that to him, you'll come here so I can tell you about what to do with each herb that he'll need." Speckleheart said in response to her unspoken question.

Tigerpaw suppressed a sigh and nodded obediently, walking out of the den.

Her claws neatly closed through the moss, separating it from the tree and dropping it beside her. She glanced down at the mo

und of moss beside her, and started bundling it up and setting it on her back to take back to camp. There was bracken near the entrance to camp, which she grabbed and shoved under her chin.

She slid into the nursery and carefully formed a nest, precision in every paw swipe. The bracken she put under the already layered moss nest to add more volume. Once she was done, she stepped back to acknowledge her handiwork.

_Now hunting._

A squirrel was chattering happily, stuffing nuts in its mouth. It hadn't seen Tigerpaw, slowly creeping up on her prey. She leapt, landing squarely on it, and carried it to where she had buried her first catch, a vole. She walked back to camp and dropped the prey in front of Bramblepaw, who was still asleep. Muttering to herself, she padded towards the medicine cat den for her first lesson.

Speckleheart was sitting, her back towards the entrance. Her head was leaned against the stone wall of her den. She was shaking slightly. The air seemed to be filled with quiet rage.

"Sp- Speckleheart?" Tigerpaw asked softly, never having seen the gentle medicine cat so angry. Speckleheart swung around, a surprised expression on her face. Her ear was dripping blood onto the dirt floor, a deep scratch in the top of her ear, and her green eyes flashed dangerously. Tigerpaw stifled a gasp as another drop of scarlet splashed onto the ground.

"Your ear." Tigerpaw said softly.

"Is none of your business. Why are you here?" Speckleheart snapped, a growl in the back of her voice. She looked tired, a haunted look in her eyes. Tigerpaw hesitantly stepped backwards, nearly tripping as she tried to exit the den. Speckleheart looked down at her white paws.

"Sorry. I remember. I'll teach you the basics."

The calico pulled out a pile of green leaves from a cleft in her wall, and a tangy smell filled the air. Tigerpaw walked over to the medicine cat and licked her injured ear tenderly. Speckleheart sighed sadly, and collapsed to the ground beside the herbs, her eyelids shutting hesitantly.

"Hush, Speckleheart. Sleep. You can explain it to me some other time."

The medicine cat protested, her eyes still closed.

"No, I can't! They'll find me! They'll find me!" She yelped softly. Gradually, her protests fell away, and the only sound was Tigerpaw's tongue rasping over the she-cat's wound. In her sleep, Speckleheart groaned, and rolled over, revealing a long, but thin, scratch on her stomach. Tigerpaw stifled a gasp and grabbed cobwebs out of a corner, and hurriedly started to apply it to the calico's stomach. From behind her, she heard a tiny whimper, and Littlepaw rushed past her, a black-and-white blur. Tigerpaw's little sister started anxiously licking Speckleheart's fur, the same way her older sister had been doing not too long ago. Then Littlepaw turned, her eyes cold.

"Go. And don't tell anyone. Please."

Tigerpaw nodded. Whatever was happening, she trusted her sister. She silently padded out of the den, bumping right into Bramblepaw.

_**QUICK NOTE: I will make a shorter story with Littlepaw and Speckleheart. Or maybe just this from Littlepaw's POV? Anyways, just thought you guys should know.**_

His eyes brightened. "Tigerpaw! There you are!" Tigerpaw's tail twitched nervously, and she stepped on it to force it to stop. Her heart wrenched as she saw the sorry shape he was in, and she tried to stifle her guilt. But she didn't do a good job. Tigerpaw started to open her mouth, and a string of words came out.

"I'm so sorry! I never wanted to hurt you! I'm so sorr-"

"It's fine, Tigerpaw! You didn't mean to. And I'm sorry that Songfur probably bullied you not this. She's jst overprotective, since Blossomheart, um, died when I had just been born."

Tigerpaw nodded understandingly, and licked his ears gently. She jerked back. _Why did I do that?! He's an annoying mouse-brain. Right?_

Tigerpaw flinched. Why in the world would she do that? She turned to leave.

"Tigerpaw?" Bramblepaw said softly, his eyes a soft shade of hazelnut. Tigerpaw exhaled, bracing herself for whatever came next.

"Will you go on a walk with me? I need to exercise my legs." Tigerpaw glanced down, then instantly regretted it. He was balanced, and looked as though a breeze might blow him over.

"Sure!" _It's the least I can do for him._

The two apprentices padded into the forest, their pelts nearly touching, their strides perfectly aligned. They went deeper and deeper into the forest, out of sight of the clearing where their home was. Anyone who saw them might have thought, at that moment, that they were completely in sync. That they were connected in a bond too powerful to break. Then that moment ended as a growling filled the air.

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A fox's slobbering muzzle stuck twelfths out of a bush, twitching as it smelled the air. Tigerpaw's thoughts were panicked. _Bramblepaw! Frostheart, if you did this, I will personally shred you. I can't let him die. Songfur will kill me. _Deep down, she knew there were more reasons. The fox's beady eyes came into view, and Tigerpaw murmured to Bramblepaw, "When I yowl, get away as fast as you can. Please. I'd rather I die than you dying. So run." A look of shock barely had time to register on the brown apprentice's face before the fox lunged, Tigerpaw meeting him in midair and slashing his muzzle with startling vigor. Anger shone clear in her eyes, and she let out a fearsome battlecry as she sliced through the fox's think fur. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a wad of brown fur. Bramblepaw hadn't moved, and the fox was heading straight for him.

"Move!" Tigerpaw screeched. Bramblepaw shook his head stubbornly.

"I won't leave you behind. I couldn't."

The fox lunged for Bramblepaw's exposed throat, and Tigerpaw, without another thought, leapt in front of the fox. She was barely aware as the fox's jaws closed around her leg, and a sickening crack and rip echoed around the clearing. She tumbled to the ground, wincing as she rose shakily to her feet. The fox was attacking Bramblepaw, and Tigerpaw lunged at it, a hissing ball of fury. With a quick glance back, she saw the gash on Bramblepaw's stomach. She had been angry before, but this was a new level of rage, one that seemed to give her strength, even in her weakened state. She slashed at it's eyes, it's ears, it's throat. It turned to leave, it's tail between it's legs, and Tigerpaw caterwaul a warning after it. She turned around, and saw a trail of a scarlet stream leading to where she was. _Huh? Who's bleeding? _

She followed the trail up to her hind leg, or what was left of it. The fox had torn away a large chunk of fur, as well as some flesh. _This is it. I'm going. At least Bramblepaw has a chance of surviving. _She stumbled over to him, her vision blurring as her rage wore off, and collapsed next to him in a sorry heap of blood and fur. Her eyes closed, and darkness consumed her mind, her thoughts, her vision, her everything. She fought to regain herself, just to make sure Bramblepaw was alright. But nothing would ever be alright again for her, or so she thought.

_**Ha! Cliffhanger! Who wants to know what happens next? Yeah, me too. :P although I guess I get to see it before other humans do…. Eh. (:**_

_**~Dawny**_

She gradually awakened to the soft lapping of a tongue. Her first thought was that the fox had come back for more, but she groggily opened her eyes, and glimpsed an outline of a cat.

"Hush. You must rest." A melodic, stern voice said softly. Tigerpaw opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't seem to make her muscles obey.

"You'll be fine, and your mate, too."

_Mate? So.. Confused… _She thought, a slight feeling of outrage in the back of her mind, although she couldn't remember why. She slipped back into the comforting darkness, her mind and body both at peace for once in her life.

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She woke up to a feeling of panic, and tried to sit up. Her head was spinning, and her leg hurt. Then everything that had happened came flooding back to her.

"Bramblepaw!" She gasped. Her eyes flew open, and what she saw shocked her. Bramblepaw was sitting right in front of her, a concerned look on his face, but that wasn't what had surprised her.

"Hello, Tigerpaw. We've been expecting you.

**YAS! Ok, first of all, I apologize for the wait. 2nd of all, the winning name was... (drumroll please!) Stripes Of Shadow! Thanks to all who voted, and happy existence!**

**Also, PLEASE check out the stories from FreeEcho and KrazyKube! They are amazing authors, and deserve some good reviews. Chop-chop, people! ?**


	3. Chapter 3: NOT A CHAPTER, MY APOLOGIES

Hi! So, as you've probably guessed, this is not a chapter, so sorry! But, I have a question. Frequent, but short, updates, or long and less frequent?


	4. Chapter 4: Who are you?

Tigerpaw was laying in a bracken nest, the inside filled with soft moss and feathers, in a small, dark den. Bramblepaw was sitting in front of her, his beautiful green eyes flashing anxiously. Behind him was a light blue-gray she-cat, with slate gray eyes, and a small ginger tom, blocking the entrance (more importantly exit, in this case) to the den. Tigerpaw hissed weakly with surprise, and tried to stand up. She fell back into the soft moss with a _fwump _and Bramblepaw anxiously rushed forward. He sighed with relief, his joy evident in his posture. Tigerpaw was still fighting to keep her eyes open, and she was dimly aware of a throbbing in her leg. She turned around and glanced at her leg, and nearly fell over again. Her fur was a matted mess, dried blood holding it together. It was also in a river reed and cobweb brace. Tigerpaw suppressed a hiss and stretched over to try and lick her fur clean. She was almost there… She stretched her neck as far as she could, but she still was a kit length short. The gray she-cat growled softly, a slight tone of amusement in her tone.

"You won't be able to reach it, you know. Not until it heals, and you can take the brace off. I'm assuming you're the independent type?" The she-cat asked coyly. Tigerpaw growled, and gave her chest fur a few embarrassed licks. Bramblepaw leaned against her protectively.

"Leave her be, Feather. She's still a little out of it. I'll explain to her where we are and what happened, if you would be so kind as to leave. I don't want her clawing your eyes out." Bramblepaw said gently. Tigerpaw growled softly again. Bramblepaw nervously put his tail around her mouth to keep her quiet, and she grudgingly obliged. Feather gave her one last suspicious glare, then bounded out of the den with the orange tabby at her side. Bramblepaw slowly exhaled, and turned to Tigerpaw.

"You remember you were bitten by the fox, right?" Tigerpaw nodded, and Bramblepaw continued. "So, you were unconscious, and I couldn't really move, but Feather and Flame heard the fox. They're littermates, and they live here. They're the reason we're both alive right now." Bramblepaw begged. Tigerpaw just nodded, and Bramblepaw sighed.

"I assume you want to rest?" He asked. Tigerpaw shook her head, and started rising shakily to her (three) feet. Bramblepaw eyed her skeptically.

"Tigerpaw, I just wanted to say… Thank you. You saved me." Bramblepaw murmured. Tigerpaw stiffened up, then paused and leaned her fur gently into him.

"No problem, Bramblepaw. I'm sorry I got you into this mess."

Bramblepaw smiled, then bounded out of the den.

"C'mon!" He called. Tigerpaw, muttering under her breath, dragged herself after him at a relatively high speed, all things considered.

The bright sunshine hit her like a slap to the face, and she closed her eyes against it's blinding rays. She started moving forward slowly, her eyes still closed.

"Come on, Tigerpaw!" Bramblepaw called. Tigerpaw started heading to the source of the voice, and promptly tripped over a stone, tumbling into Flame. She opened her eyes, and Flame _mreeow_ed with amusement as he slid away from her.

"Careful. Don't injure yourself." He purred. Her mind gave a leap. _That's the voice! Hmm, he doesn't all much. _She smiled as she rose back to her feet, her eyes finally open.

"I won't." She promised, before recklessly bounding off after Bramblepaw, whose brown tail was sticking out of some nearby brush. As Bramblepaw suggested a nap, Flame turned and bounded away, towards a small divot in the ground under a log. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he dove into it, his tail twitching anxiously.

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_Tigerpaw glanced around, confusion clear on her face. Where was she? It work her eyes a moment to adjust to the swallowing darkness. It was a long, stone tunnel, condensation dripping down the walls into small pools of water. Somehow it seemed cold, but she.. Couldn't tell. She glanced down. She had little stars in her fur! _Oh, I'm dreaming. _She thought. Shrugging, she bounded down to the rocky floor of the cave. A voice echoed through the tunnel, followed by a loud shushing noise. Tigerpaw tilted her head with confusion, and bounded towards the noise. She emerged into a small cavern. Inside, there were four cats. She realized with suprise that Flame was one of the cats. _Why's he here? _She thought. Then she stifled a laugh. Of course, it was a dream. Probably since she could only clearly picture three cats in her mind.. (Bramblepaw, Flame, & Feather) _

_One of the other cats, a large gray tom poked Flame with his paw, and Flame seemed to shrink before him. OR One of the other cats, a large gray tom, said something, and Flame nodded. His voice seemed to ring around the cavern as he meowed, "It's time. We must attack now, while we have leverage. Those clan cats won't have a chance." Tigerpaw stifled a gasp. Then she nearly laughed despite herself. It was just a dream, right?! She raced into the center of the group of cats and screamed, "YUMMY PREY! TWOLEGS TASTE GOOD!" The cats turned to stare at her, blue, green, brown and citrine eyes seemingly staring into her soul. _

She woke up with a cold chill, the eyes still in her vision.

_**So, tiny update. Currently in the polls we have one short, one long, and one 'whatever.' PLEASE VOTE ON THE POLL. Also, I finally have an idea for the plot for the next few chapters! Yay! Anyway, thanks to all reviewers, PMers, etc. You are all so supportive, and I wouldn't have this story without you! Also, did you like the cliffhanger last chapter? And I kind of developed literally all the plot(s) in this chapter… LOL. Anyway, thanks to all readers, too. Also, to clear up any confusion that may occur, Flame and Feather are littermates. P.S. Who ships who in this? (Even minor characters, like Little!) Should I start naming my chapters, too?**_

_**PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**_


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